Job Description
Sutton Bonington, East Midlands (England), LE12 5RB
Job Summary
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, and works on behalf of the Scottish Government and Welsh Government. Our diverse teams of over 3,000 skilled and committed professionals come together to provide research, advice and support to UK Government for safeguarding animal, public and plant health for benefit of the environment and economy.
APHA is a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, because it helps us be more innovative and make better decisions. We are dedicated to being an inclusive employer, offering equitable opportunities for all individuals. Our goal is to build a diverse workforce, and we hope to attract applications from all backgrounds and underrepresented groups.
The Science Directorate (SD) delivers high quality, high impact and highly relevant multidisciplinary science. Our People are diverse, talented, engaged and inspired to deliver innovative outcomes.
Proficiency testing (PT) is an integral part of laboratory quality assurance. It forms the basis for continuous monitoring of diagnostic test validity and supports laboratories to achieve and maintain accreditation to ISO 17025. VETQAS is a world leader in veterinary PT covering a wide range of diseases, animal species and tests; it is held in high regard globally. VETQAS sits within the Science Directorate of the APHA, which delivers high quality, high impact, and highly relevant multidisciplinary science. The VETQAS PT programme supports the core work of APHA and Defra to safeguard animal health and welfare and public health, protect the economy and enhance food security, for example in the National Control of Salmonella Programme. It is responsible for the development, production, and supply of PTs under the VETQAS brand to veterinary laboratories worldwide.
You will provide administrative support for delivery of products and services to laboratories worldwide. You will work both independently and as part of a team, to perform a wide range of administrative and customer service duties. You will be a contact point for all incoming enquires and work to improve productivity, efficiency and work processes.
Job Description
You will provide administrative support and operational expertise to science colleagues, Admin Team, Admin Team Lead (ATL), Business Manager and Head of Department. Proactively manage purchasing, financial and administrative requests and queries.
You will operate as a team member to perform a range of duties including, while not limited to, the following:
Administration And Other Duties
* Support staff and customers by providing administrative and scientific services.
* Receive and facilitate replies for email and telephone enquiries (most are relevant to customer contracts and shipping administration).
* Preparation of paperwork for shipping biological materials e.g. customs proformas and export/import documents.
* Assisting with the preparation, labelling, packaging and distribution of PT samples.
* Ensure accurate records are kept and updated.
* Monitor and maintain reports and spreadsheets to show customer activity e.g. details of new business, business retention, figures for re-ordering, etc.
Safety & Wellbeing
* Work in accordance with health, safety and wellbeing procedures.
Quality
* Adhere to the Standard Operating Procedures and the relevant ISO standard.
You will provide administrative support and operational expertise to science colleagues, Admin Team, Admin Team Lead (ATL), Business Manager and Head of Department. Proactively manage purchasing, financial and administrative requests and queries.
You will operate as a team member to perform a range of duties including, while not limited to, the following:
Administration And Other Duties
* Support staff and customers by providing administrative and scientific services.
* Receive and facilitate replies for email and telephone enquiries (most are relevant to customer contracts and shipping administration).
* Preparation of paperwork for shipping biological materials e.g. customs proformas and export/import documents.
* Assisting with the preparation, labelling, packaging and distribution of PT samples.
* Ensure accurate records are kept and updated.
* Monitor and maintain reports and spreadsheets to show customer activity e.g. details of new business, business retention, figures for re-ordering, etc.
Safety & Wellbeing
* Work in accordance with health, safety and wellbeing procedures.
Quality
* Adhere to the Standard Operating Procedures and the relevant ISO standard.
Person specification
You will be working in a fast paced, reactive role supported by a friendly team who all work together to support all the staff in their roles. You will be required to demonstrate skills and experience in the following.
Experience And Skills:
You will need to demonstrate the following:
* Motivated, self-aware with high inner resilience, approachable, calm under pressure.
* This post is a key point of contact for customer enquiries.
* Provide assistance to help ensure stakeholders receive the highest standard of service.
* Support the team to ensure products and services are delivered in a timely manner for veterinary diagnostic labs worldwide.
* Ensure all documentation for exporting products is in place prior to dispatch.
* Good MS Excel and Word skills.
* Knowledge and experience of using One Drive, MS Teams and SharePoint Online.
* Ability to communicate and interact effectively with different stakeholders.
* Highly organised with excellent electronic record keeping skills.
* Ability to balance and prioritise multiple tasks with competing deadlines.
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
* Good standard of verbal and numerical reasoning.
* High standard of interpersonal skills, being motivated, resilient and approachable in our multi-disciplinary team.
* Ability to work under pressure in a flexible and agile way.
Workplace arrangements
This is a full-time position – Monday to Friday. Working from home is available for some duties and is by agreement on an ad hoc basis.
The job holder will be based at Sutton Bonington with periodic travel within the UK and overseas. The department occupies a building on three levels and as there is no lift, the post holder needs to be able to use two flights of stairs and thus be reasonably physically fit.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
* Working Together
* Communicating and Influencing
* Delivering at Pace
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
* Working Together
Alongside your salary of £26,025, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £7,539 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Learning and Development
Everyone in APHA is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. When you join the Directorate, you will be welcomed into your new team through an induction programme that will provide you with helpful information on the civil service, our work and our policies. Your line manager will also work with you to establish your priorities for the year, developing your performance, and a learning and development and this includes can include a variety of courses, Apprenticeships, paid Masters and PhD and on-the-job training specific to your role.
Offered Benefits
In return for your dedication and hard work, we will support your ongoing personal development through appropriate training. Inclusion, support as the development of our people matter to us. We aim to support the career and personal wellbeing of everyone in APHA. Our benefits include, generous annual leave, a generous employer contributory pension (28.97%), staff bonuses and recognition, salary sacrifice benefit options, and an employee discount scheme, reward vouchers and in-year bonuses. We also offer additional days off if accrued extra hours (flexi-time –if accumulated), three paid volunteering day per year. Further details can be found in the Candidate Information Pack.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Recruitment
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Application Process
You will be required to complete the following as part of your application
* A CV-style application submitted through an online tool accessed through the Civil Service Jobs website.
* A 500-word Personal Statement of how you match the details in the Personal Specification – the written evidence you provide must relate to your own experiences. We encourage you to use the full word allowance of the Personal Statement but not to exceed it.
* A 250-word Behaviour Statement for the following Behaviour: Working Together. Please use the STAR technique (Situation Task, Action, Result) to provide evidence of the Behaviours in your application.
Scoring for all criteria of the application is from 1 to 7 – A score of 4 and above will progress to interview unless there is a large number of applications. In this instance, an initial sift will be conducted using the Personal Statement. The panel may agree a benchmark score higher than 4 with a rationale for the decision. Any candidates applying under the Disability Confident Scheme who scores 4 or above on all of the criteria will be offered an interview.
For further guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV style application, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit the Civil Service Careers website. How to write your CV, Civil Service Careers.
Interview
If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on
* Experience as detailed in the Person Specification section - Success Profiles: Experience - GOV.UK.
* Behaviours – Working Together, Communicating and Influencing, and Delivering at Pace.
The Behaviour criteria outlined in the Success Profiles: Civil Service behaviours - GOV.UK framework for AO positions. Please use the STAR technique (Situation Task, Action, Result) to provide evidence of the Behaviours in your interview.
Please note, your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.
Reserves
In the event of more than one candidate meeting the criteria we may maintain a reserve list should a similar role become available in the subsequent 12 months following interview.
After the interview
Once all the interviews have been conducted, candidates will be notified of the outcome by email. If you are successful at the interview stage, we will be in touch to offer you a role. Offers will be made in merit order.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Location
Please be aware that this role(s) will be contractually based in a Defra group workplace/office. The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location (excluding Northern Ireland) and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.
The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations. For most candidates your hours of work will be a blend of working from an APHA workplace (specific to the team location) with working at home.
Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.
This post requires you to be working on-site five days per week or less for job share. Working from home is available for some duties and is by agreement on an ad hoc basis.
The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.
Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.
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